Two Experts "Shoot" From The Hip On Gun Control

by Caitlin Reimers

Guns have been a part of American culture and a part of every major turning point in our history. Today, gun control, gun safety, and gun rights have seemingly divided the United States into two camps: the gun rights advocates, and the gun control advocates. Both of these groups want gun safety. The dividing points are argued over the extent that gun control impacts personal freedom and to what extent legislation helps us become a safer society.

However, as stories in the media about gun violence seem to appear almost weekly, public opinion about guns seems to be shifting towards more support for regulation. In fact, guns are one of the only unregulated industries in this country, where, even children's toys are regulated for safety. The public's voices of concern over gun safety has risen to a level where it is becoming heard nationally. Teenagers, young children, and their parents, either first hand or as television witnesses of the seeming increase in school and street violence, are beating the drum for more protection and more limits on those that purchase guns. Legislation, limits imposed on the second amendment, ŒBig Brotherš cameras in schools, are these the answers to our gun problems? For some answers, I turned to Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Mr. Robert Defay, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation for a balanced report.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal does not advocate abolishing guns, but rather to impose certain safety measures on the gun industry. Mr. Blumenthal has set two primary goals in the pursuance of safety. "First, to help assure that safer firearms are manufactured, and second, to keep deadly firearms out of the hands of children." Mr. Blumenthal believes that legislation should be adopted to help keep guns away from criminals and children, and to make sure that safety locks and other safety mechanisms are a priority for every gun manufacturer. His goal is to persuade gun manufacturers to work cooperatively to make sure that gun safety features are in every gun that is manufactured.